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US 6,266,968 B1Granted
Multiple evaporator refrigerator with expansion valve
OwnerRobert Walter Redlichinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A refrigerator that efficiently cools multiple cold spaces at different temperatures with one compressor and one condenser is disclosed. Multiple, fan equipped evaporators are in series, and an expansion valve regulates superheat from inlet to outlet of the series evaporators. Cold space temperatures are regulated with an on-off thermostat in each space. If only one fan is turned on, system performance approaches that of a single evaporator refrigerator with controlled superheat. More than one evaporator fan may be turned on for initial cooldown.
Claims3
In a vapor compression refrigeration system that includes,
- a compressor with a suction inlet and a discharge outlet, the compressor powered by a compressor motor,
- a condenser having an inlet and an outlet, the condenser inlet receiving compressed refrigerant vapor from the discharge outlet of the compressor,
- the following combination is claimed,
- a) two or more thermally insulated chambers, the chambers designated here by CHn, where n herein is an index number suffix in the range n=1,2,3———N, N≧2, CHn containing an evaporator designated here by EVAPn, EVAPn equipped with an electrically driven fan designated here by Fn which, when energized, moves air over the surface of EVAPn to enhance heat transfer from EVAPn, the outlet of EVAPn connected by a refrigerant passage to the inlet of EVAP(n+1) for n<N. the outlet of EVAPN connected by a refrigerant passage to the suction inlet of the compressor,
- b) an expansion valve with an inlet connected by a refrigerant passage to the condenser outlet and an outlet connected by a refrigerant passage to the inlet of EVAP1,
- b) an expansion valve control, responsive to the difference in temperature between the outlet of EVAPN and the inlet of EVAP1, the expansion valve control causing the expansion valve to respectively increase or decrease refrigerant flow if said difference in temperature exceeds or is below a preset temperature difference.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.